Conventionally, there is known an information processing device in which plural operating systems (hereinafter, “OS”) are installed. By making it possible to switch the OS, the user may use application programs (hereinafter, “applications”) dependent on the respective types of OSs with a single information processing device, and therefore the convenience of the information processing device is enhanced.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a usage format by the user of a dual OS terminal (information processing device) in which two types of OSs are installed. First, at time point (1), the user is viewing a video with an application operating on a first OS. Next, at time point (2), the user desires to edit the video that he has viewed. Assuming that the second OS has more applications relevant to editing videos, the user probably wants to switch the OS to the second OS. Therefore, at time point (3), the user manually switches the OS and the display screen, etc., to that of the second OS. At time point (4), after the second OS is activated, the user looks for an application relevant to editing videos, and activates the application that has been found. Then, at time point (5), the user edits the video by the activated application.
In relation to the above technology, there is known an information processing device for exclusively switching the operating environment. In this information processing device, the operation environment is switched so that either the first OS or the second OS may operate. Furthermore, in this information processing device, in order to switch the OS, the user ends the OS that is being executed, and then after that, when the information processing device is activated, the OS is switched to the other OS. Furthermore, in this information processing device, when a predetermined message is stored in the storage device while a first OS is being executed, subsequently, when the power is turned on or the information processing device is rebooted, the OS that is to execute the stored message (for example, the second OS) starts operating.
Furthermore, there is known a remote control device that switches TV channels by remote control. In this device, the operation pattern of the person operating the remote control, personal information (hobbies, etc.) of the person, and statistical information based on operation history are used to automatically select a particular channel after the power is turned on.
Patent document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-202691
Patent document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-211541
However, in a conventional information processing device, the user needs to manually reboot the device to switch the OS, or to push a button to instruct the switch, and therefore it takes time and effort to switch the OS. Furthermore, it takes further time and effort to look for the desired application in the switched OS and to activate the application.
The information processing device described in patent document 1 may be able to automatically determine the OS to be selected when the information processing device is activated, but to switch the OS, the user's operation is needed. Furthermore, the user needs to take the trouble of selecting the application.
As described above, in a conventional information processing device, the convenience has been insufficient in terms of switching the OS and the application.
Furthermore, the device described in patent document 2 is not for controlling operating systems or application programs, and therefore it is difficult to apply this to the technology of controlling operations of an information processing device.